| |
| The
Implications of WTO Membership: A View from the Kingdom |
|
 "..for
the Kingdom itself, membership poses considerable challenges, both
commercial and psychological. Saudi business is going to have to
learn two hard lessons virtually simultaneously. First it must
figure out how to survive without captive markets. At the very
same time, it has to find out how to face competition from
international companies which themselves long ago learned how to
survive in highly competitive markets.." [more]
| Two
Books, Same Country? -- Reviews of Murawiec and Khan by
Gause |
|
 "..Are
these two books about the same country? The first depicts Saudi
Arabia as a violent, benighted place whose ruling family is
pursuing a decades-long plan to subvert American power. The second
is the authorized biography of the richest man in Saudi Arabia, a
member of the ruling family, who is portrayed as the consummate
mix of "East" and "West" -- a man who can
bridge cultures and repair the torn U.S.-Saudi relationship.
Unfortunately, neither is a reliable source about politics and
life in Saudi Arabia today, nor does either book shed much light
on the fascinating, difficult issues involved in relations between
Riyadh and Washington.." [more]
| World
Trade Organization Accession: Saudi Arabia Gets "Green
Light" |
|
 "..Major
trading nations yesterday approved Saudi Arabia’s accession to
the World Trade Organization during a key meeting in Geneva as WTO
chief Pascal Lamy called the decision historic. Commerce and
Industry Minister Hashem Yamani, who led the Saudi negotiating
team, called it “a victory for the principles and objectives of
the multilateral trading system.” Saudi economists applauded the
WTO accession as “an important milestone” in the Kingdom’s
history.." [more]
| National
Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses and Challenges |
|
 Book
Note: National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats,
Responses and Challenges by Anthony Cordesman and Nawaf Obaid -- "With
continuing instability in Iraq, the threat of a nuclear Iran, and
the everpresent reality of further terrorist attacks within its
own borders, Saudi Arabia has been forced to make some hard
decisions with regard to the structure of its security apparatus,
as well as dealing with economic and demographic threats. What has
been accomplished since 9/11, and what are the real prospects and
implications for further reform? Cordesman and Obaid describe in
detail the current developments in the threats to Saudi Arabia,
its options for regional security, the developments in its
conventional forces, and its steadily improving internal security
capabilities."
[more]
SUSRIS 2.0
User's Guide -- How
to Get Started in the SUSRIS Discussion Forum
 Along
with the new look, feel and navigation features unveiled in
"SUSRIS 2.0" this month we have updated the SUSRIS
discussion forum.
The
forum is provided as a venue for you to contribute your insights,
comments and experiences on the range of topics of interest to
stakeholders in the Saudi-US relationship.
The
current topics include: US-Saudi Relations, A Historic
Relationship, Partners in the War on Terror, Doing Business, Expat
Chat, Student Exchange and SUSRIS 2.0. New topics will be
added based on your interests -- so simply tell us what you
want to talk about and we'll adapt the forum to meet your needs.
How
to get started?
Surf
over to the forum by clicking here (SUSRIS
Discussion Forum). Take a look at some of the threads
already in progress. If you want to participate by posting
your comments on the current posts, or to create a new post simply
click on the "New
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-- your login name, display name, password and email
address. You will receive an email for verification and then
you can start posting. Pretty easy.
We look
forward to you contributing your views to the discussion
forum. See you there.
Abdullah Played Big Role in WTO Accession [Oct 30]
"A prominent member of the Saudi negotiating team yesterday commended the big role played by Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah in speeding up the Kingdom’s accession to the World Trade Organization. 'King Abdullah’s excellent
relations with leaders of the United States, Britain and France were the main factor that won the Kingdom WTO accession,'
said Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Salman.." [more]
Relief Convoy Leaves for Pakistan [Oct 30]
"A large Saudi relief convoy of 100 containers with foodstuffs, blankets and tents will leave Riyadh for Pakistan today..
..Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah earlier ordered emergency aid worth SR500 million for Pakistan in order
to rebuild infrastructure such as schools and hospitals in the devastated areas.."
[more]
Thousands of Students Prep for US Study [Oct 30]
"As thousands of young Saudis get ready to study in the United States on government scholarships, Eastern Province
community groups are organizing programs to help them and their families prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. A great
deal of effort to compile a detailed database about the traveling students, and lectures and seminars about life in the
United States have been organized.." [more]
WTO News Sends Saudi Stocks to All-Time High [Oct 30]
"The Saudi stock market hit an all-time high yesterday on news Saudi Arabia has received approval from major trading
nations for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).. ..Samba Financial Group Chief Economist Brad Bourland told
Arab News that 'if the stock market was reacting to the WTO news then it reflects the correct view that the WTO membership
will be good for the economy and good for Saudi companies'.." [more]
Saudi Arabia’s Net Foreign Assets Up [Oct 30]
"Saudi Arabia's central bank net foreign assets rose to SR468 billion ($125 billion) in September, up 3 percent from
August, and money supply resumed its strong growth, official figures showed. Saudi Arabia, which is reaping record revenues
from high crude prices, saw its deposits with banks abroad rise 7.7 percent in September to SR118.7 billion. Foreign
currencies convertible to gold rose by 3.9 percent.." [more]
King Abdullah and Jordanian King Hold Meeting
[Oct 30]
"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein held a
meeting at Al-Safa palace here today. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments at the Arab, Islamic and
international arenas particularly the Palestinian cause and the situation in Iraq. Aspects of cooperation between the two
brotherly countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields were also reviewed.."
[more]
Abdullah Meets
Siniora, Syrian Minister [Oct 30]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora as well as
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.. ..Muallem, who is on a Gulf tour after a UN report implicated senior Syrian
officials in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, will also visit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and
Bahrain, diplomats said. A Lebanese source close to Siniora’s delegation said the prime minister was expected to discuss
with King Abdullah the latest developments in Lebanon.." [more]
Counseling for Deviants Is Working: Naif [Oct 30]
"Interior Minister Prince Naif yesterday confirmed plans to release some detainees held for security reasons after they
repented and, after following a counseling program, decided to return to the right path. He emphasized however that the
government would not set free those militants arrested for planning terrorist attacks across the country.."
[more]
WTO Members Approve Saudi Accession [Oct 29]
"Major trading nations yesterday approved Saudi Arabia’s accession to the World Trade Organization.. ..The WTO working
team, including all major trading nations, yesterday approved the final package of Saudi entry terms, which must be
endorsed by the ruling General Council on Nov. 11. Approval in the Council is seen as a foregone conclusion, officials
said.." [more]
Saudi Stocks Fluctuate as Investors Sell Blue Chips
[Oct 29]
"The Saudi stock market witnessed fluctuations last week as investors were involved in a sell-off of blue chips,
particularly the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC).. ..Arab stock markets are expected to gather momentum this week as
the fasting month of Ramadan draws to a close and investors take fresh positions in anticipation of a surge in prices after
the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, tentatively set for Nov. 2-5, financial analysts said.."
[more]
Georgetown University to Help Effat College Design Curricula
[Oct 28]
"Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and Effat College for girls will cooperate in designing business
school curricula for undergraduate students of Effat College.. ..After the cooperation with the Georgetown University, we
expect to target the needs of the business in Saudi Arabia,” said Kerry
Laufer, dean assistant of Institutional
Development and the project manager for Georgetown University & Effat College.."
[more]
Saudi Arabia Gets Nod for WTO Entry by Year-end [Oct
28]
"Saudi Arabia, the top global oil exporter, got the nod on Friday from all major trading nations to join the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), probably by mid-December, after 12 years of tough on-off negotiations. A WTO working group approved
the final package of Saudi entry terms, which will be discussed at a meeting of the body's ruling General Council on Nov.
11, officials said. Approval there is widely regarded as a foregone conclusion.."
[more]
Is Saudi Arabia oil production tapped out? [Oct 28]
"Secret government papers are raising concerns about Saudi Arabia's ability to increase oil production significantly,
raising the danger of perpetually high oil prices and the potential for frequent shortages. According to the New York
Times: 'doubts about Saudi Arabia's assurances of how much it can expand capacity - and for how long - have been raised
in a secret intelligence report and in a separate analysis by a leading government oil adviser'.."
[more]
Sharp Rise in Initial Public Offerings in Saudi Arabia
[Oct 28]
"Issuance of IPOs (initial public offerings) is becoming a growing trend in Saudi Arabia. Nearly 60 companies in the
Kingdom either have gone through or are undergoing the process.." [more]
Intelligence Service in Saudi Arabia to be Modernized
[Oct 28]
"Saudi Arabia is to modernize and enhance its intelligence service. In an interview to Arabic daily Okaz, Prince Muqrin
bin Abdulaziz, the newly appointed chief of General Intelligence with the rank of minister, said that his priorities
include modernization of the intelligence service, enhancement of its performance and responsibilities and activation of
mutual cooperation with peer agencies in other countries.." [more]
First Center for Domestic Violence Launched in Saudi Arabia
[Oct 28]
"Saudi Arabia announced the launch of its first campaign to combat domestic abuse with the inauguration of the first
center to protect children, women and the elderly in Mecca on Wednesday. Sheikh Saleh al Turki, chair of the social
development committee part of Mecca city council and head of al Bar association in Jeddah, said the move was in response
to a June resolution by the council calling an authority to be established to protect children, women, and the elderly
from domestic violence.." [more]
Saudi Red Crescent Chief Tours Saudi Field Hospital in Pakistan
[Oct 28]
"Acting President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society Dr. Saleh Al-Tuwaijiri yesterday inspected the Saudi field hospital
in Mansehra, Pakistan. The 50-bed field hospital was established to provide medical care to people injured in the October
8 earthquake.." [more]
Kingdom Takes Steps to Prevent Bird Flu, Bans Poultry Import
[Oct 28]
"Saudi Arabia has stepped up measures to prevent any outbreak of avian flu in the country as the Ministry of Agriculture
intensified monitoring of some 500 poultry farms in various parts of the Kingdom.. ..Riyadh has also imposed a temporary
ban on the import of live birds and eggs from Turkey and Romania on the basis of World Health Organization reports.."
[more]
Human Rights Watch Appeals Teenage Killer’s Death Verdict
[Oct 27]
"The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has filed a memo with Saudi officials concerning the 15-year-old Egyptian boy
sentenced to death for killing a three-year-old Egyptian girl.. ..Dr. Mufleh
Al-Qahtani, head of the
investigation and follow-up committee at the National Society for Human Rights, said that they had not
received a copy of the memo and were not aware of its existence.." [more]
BBC Arabic TV May Bring In New Perspectives [Oct 27]
"The Middle East will soon become much hotter — at least in the cutthroat world of competition for
television viewers. The British Broadcasting Corporation’s decision on Tuesday to establish an Arabic TV
channel in 2007 took media watchers in the region by surprise.. ..“Whenever we have quality competition, it
benefits us all,” said Dr. Khaled Batarfi, managing editor of Al-Madinah Arabic daily.."
[more]
WFP Team to Coordinate Relief Operations in Pakistan
"Abdul Aziz Arrukban, special ambassador of the World Food Program (WFP), will leave for Pakistan early next
week at the head of a 10-member delegation for organizing the Kingdom’s relief aid program for the
earthquake victims.. ..Arrukban, the first Saudi to become a WFP special envoy, said the window of
opportunity for rushing relief supplies to the quake-stricken Pakistanis would close in a few weeks with the
onset of winter.." [more]
Riyadh Denies WTO Role in Bank License [Oct 26]
"The deputy governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) Dr. Mohammad Al Jasser has denied that the
license awarded to the French bank BNP Paribas was one of the conditions demanded by the World Trade
Organization.. ..The bank has been operating in the Gulf region for more than 32 years employing 370 staff.
Jasser declined to answer a question on when licenses would be given for establishment of new Saudi local
banks.." [more]
Saudi Arabia Set to Join WTO and Open Up Economy [Oct
26]
"Saudi Arabia, the top global oil exporter, looks set to get the green light to join the World Trade
Organization on [Oct 28] in a move that will open wider its long-protected but fast-growing economy to the
outside.. ..'The most important thing about the WTO is that it gives comfort to foreign investors that Saudi
Arabia's laws and regulations are in line with international standards,' Amr Dabbagh, head of the investment
authority SAGIA said.." [more]
Global Gold and Jewelry Exhibition Opens in Riyadh
[Oct 26]
"A major international gold and jewelry exhibition, the first of its kind hosted by the Kingdom after a gap
of 20 years, was inaugurated here [Oct 25].. ..'This is an important exhibition for Saudi Arabia, which has
emerged as a competitive world center for gold trade and for the local manufacturing and designing of gold
and diamond jewelry,' said Osama Kurdi, a Shoura Council member.." [more]
MESC Signs Deal With SHB, Ernst & Young [Oct 26]
"With around 60 companies in the Kingdom either having gone through or are undergoing initial public
offering (IPO), Middle East Specialized Cables (MESC) took a major step down the road of conversion into a
joint stock company yesterday when it signed an agreement with Saudi Hollandi Bank and Ernst & Young
appointing them as joint financial advisers for the company’s IPO of its shares on
Tadawul.." [more]
Rocket Fired at Saudi Arabia From Yemen [Oct 25]
"Saudi Arabia said Monday a rocket fired from inside Yemeni territory exploded on the Saudi side of the
border.. ..The source did not say when the incident happened but stressed a joint investigation was being
undertaken by the Saudi and Yemeni authorities to identify the source of the rocket.."
[more]
Foreign Investment Heads Sharply Upwards in Saudi Arabia
[Oct 25]
"The accelerating pace of economic reform in Saudi Arabia is attracting the attention of a growing number of
potential foreign investors.. ..Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority governor Amr Al-Dabbagh estimates
that investment into the Kingdom last year totalled $3.8 billion. The aim, he says, is to draw in $1
trillion in foreign direct investment over the next 20 years.." [more]
BNP Paribas Makes Debut in Riyadh [Oct 25]
"The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) has issued licenses for more banks to enter the Saudi market. They
include the National Bank of Kuwait, the National Bank of Bahrain, J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank..
..Referring to the issuance of licenses to foreign banks, Al-Jasser said SAMA has set no specific conditions
except those normally followed by all the banks. He pointed out that the permission given to these banks has
nothing to do with the Kingdom’s bid for accession to the WTO.." [more]
Businesswomen Form Own Group to Contest JCCI Poll
[Oct 25]
"Seven businesswomen running in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry board of directors election have
formed their own alliance to support their bid in the first ever elections in the Kingdom open for women..
..The Ministry of Commerce issued a decision allowing women to run in the elections after several
businesswomen objected to being denied that right as chamber members. This marks the first participation of
Saudi women as candidates in an election in the country.." [more]
Health Insurance Mandatory From Jan. 1 [Oct 25]
"The Cooperative Health Insurance Council (CHIC) has given preliminary approval to 14 companies to provide
health insurance service in the Kingdom ahead of making health insurance mandatory from January 2006. In the
first stage, companies having 500 or more workers will have to provide health cover to their employees.."
[more]
Petromin to Be Merged With Saudi Aramco [Oct 25]
"The Council of Ministers [Oct 24] abrogated the General Organization of Petroleum and Minerals
(Petromin) and merged its properties with Saudi Aramco.. ..The Cabinet assigned Petroleum and Mineral Resources
Minister Ali Al-Naimi to oversee the procedures for the transfer of Petromin's properties to Saudi Aramco.."
[more]
Massive Response to Telethon [Oct 24]
"Saudi Arabia has raised more than SR140 million in a telethon for earthquake survivors in Pakistan. Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques King Abdullah launched the effort on Saturday by giving SR10 million. Crown Prince Sultan donated SR5 million
and businessman Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal gave SR20 million.." [more]
13 Terror Suspects Arrested [Oct 24]
"Saudi security forces have arrested 13 suspects in a residential area of Riyadh. The men are believed to be members of the
Al-Qaeda terror network.. ..'This is the first incident in which a group mainly composed of young suspects below 16 years of
age have been arrested,' said a report in Al-Watan Arabic daily.." [more]
Saudi Loans to Help Fund Road Projects in Mindanao
[Oct 24]
"At least $100 million in loans from Saudi Arabia will be used to boost infrastructure projects in the southern
Philippines.. ..The money is part of a recent loan agreement between the two countries and would be sourced from the Saudi
Fund for Development to the Philippines, said the embassy. Saudi Arabia also pledged another $50 million to boost
development projects in the five-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.."
[more]
Saudi Arabia to Host Islamic Summit in December [Oct
24]
"Muslim leaders will gather in the holy city of Mecca in December for a summit called by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to
address rifts between Islamic nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference said. The 56-nation group said in a
statement on its Web site, yesterday, that the meeting would take place on December. 7-8.."
[more]
Imports of Pet Birds Banned [Oct 24]
"THE Ministry of Agriculture has stopped the importation of pet birds, like parrots, from countries where traces of the bird
flu strain have been found.. ..the countries included in the ban, which included also chicken and their fertilized eggs, are
China, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and other European countries.."
[more]
Insurance Key to Saudis' WTO Membership Effort [Oct
24]
"In order to join the WTO, Saudi Arabia must reach a bilateral agreement with the EU. Europe is attempting to tackle the
Saudi insurance industry -- a sensitive area for an Islamic state as it is based upon a financial gamble.. ..Foreign
insurers want to open branches in Saudi Arabia and to invest up to 60 percent in a local co-operative. However, the EU is
pushing Saudi to allow European companies to do so with 100 percent equity and hopes to lay the framework for a traditional
insurance industry in the country.." [more]
| About
the Saudi-US
Relations Information Service |
|
The SUSRIS
project -- an independent, private-sector information resource –
offers objective, comprehensive news and information on the
history, breadth and depth of the US-Saudi Arabia relationship.
< Read More
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